Excise gets tip-offs on illicit brewers from angry customers

Once sober, customers realise that they had paid a huge sum and blow the suppliers’ cover

Recently, excise officials in Kothamangalam Range seized 30 litres of illicitly brewed country liquor from a household at Malayankeezhu along the bypass. Soon, it emerged that the informer was a disgruntled customer who had to buy a litre of the brew from the accused for a princely sum of ₹2,000. Increasingly, clients, on turning sober, become guilt-ridden on being made to pay exorbitant price for the tipple. They blow the suppliers’ cover with a vengeance. The enforcement officials are not complaining.